Dd friends house is perfect! Ours not so much....

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Just been to get my dd from a party in her friends house-really felt I stepped into another world. They obviously have a lot of money and the house is large and beautifully decorated. We rent and honestly felt so critical of our house when we returned home. Ever had that? Lovely people not snobby or anything but I'm now very conscious if they or daughters friend come to our house. It's actually depressed me a bit!

Happens to me alot. It's a horrible feeling.

Yes! Although the last time I had it was a friends flat, small and above a newsagents so didn't expect much, but it was so beautifully decorated (and uncluttered!). Ours in all honesty needs a repaint, but seems a losing battle when the kids are small and leave dirty handprints everywhere!

Oh glad I'm not alone! Makes me want to sort my house out but will never be the same standard.....

I've had it both ways! I used to live in a tiny house in London and was so embarrassed, we were in a really rough area and some of my friends were living in amazing properties with pillars and floor to ceiling glass etc etc. I work in the creative industries so lots of moneyed people alongside scruffs like me .

I would never host people for dinner parties etc as I felt so ashamed of my street which had loads of fly tipped mattresses, drug deals etc.

Then we left London during covid and got a house which is bigger, quieter area, etc, and a couple of the school mums have been a bit at me even though I'm genuinely not snobby and have had lots of the kids over to play etc. I didn't really know the area before we moved in so wasn't aware it was seen as a bit posh.

I feel that way, too. Makes me feel like a right loser with no money or taste. Horrible. I know they say comparison is the thief of joy, but I can't help it.

@MadeOfSteel exactly!

Sometimes people who have large and beautifully decorated homes started off in a 2 bed, just scraping by after paying bills. Everyone has different circumstances- do not feel inadequate or judged, OP you and the other family may have more in common than you might think.

I have found that wherever I am (and I had very little as a child). There is always still room to look up and to a degree compare. Still things you would like to have that someone else has.

Where I am now is much preferred to where I began however.

"Comparison is the thief of joy"

I learned that on Mumsnet.

having a “perfect” house doesn’t necessarily make you happy! In fact it sounds stressful maintaining it…